A hearing by communications regulator Icasa’s complaints and compliance committee on the Democratic Alliance’s advertisement complaint case against the SABC was postponed on Wednesday night.
Committee chairman Wandile Tutani said the matter would be postponed indefinitely as the SABC had hired a new legal team.
The new team would have to investigate the facts of the case, and once they had made a conclusion on the matter, they would decide whether it would be taken further.
The DA did not oppose the postponement.
DA leader Helen Zille said the postponement was only accepted on condition that the party’s six ads be aired with immediate effect. “It is a victory for common sense,” she said.
The party laid a complaint with Icasa on Saturday after the SABC failed to broadcast its election advertisement. The “Ayisafani” TV ad was pulled off the air last week, along with five radio advertisements.
The advert shows the DA’s Gauteng premier candidate and spokesman, Mmusi Maimane, standing in front of a mirror talking about the current state of the country. He says life today is better than it was 20 years ago and gives credit to great leaders who he believes have taken the country forward.
The SABC stood by its decision. It said the party could submit an amended version of the ad.
Terry Motau, for the SABC, confirmed that the public broadcaster would flight all six of the party’s adverts on air with immediate effect.
One television advert and five radio ads were pulled off air after being flighted for two days on 8 and 9 April.
Steven Budlender, for the DA, confirmed that the party had withdrawn its urgent high court application. — Sapa
